gellie

Given all the problems I have had with my 02 S500 and my 05 S500 i will NEVER purchase another Merc. My SA swears that the new W221 will have fewer problems,but admits he has seen more electrical issues than he initally thought. I too am interested to see how this model holds up after a few years.

AHall

Thanks for the input gellie. I guess I will wait and see. I can wait a few years before I really need to make a purchase anyways. I forgot to add that I was also concerned about the reliability of major systems like active body control in addition to the engine and transmission. In fact I would probably be more concerned about this than the engine and transmission. I could see that be a huge expense if ity went out after warranty. But I guess extended warranties may be the way to go for the life of the car.

CardinalSin

It is true that MB has had a stained decade or so with the quality issues. But as I understand it, they decided to make a concious effort to ensure little goes wrong with their cars nowadays. Tolerance levels during testing are zero or near zero and it is a good thing they have removed ECMs and made the car less dependent on electronics. I think the S class was the first to benefit from this, followed by the C class, which by the way, is selling like hot cakes and doing very well from a reliability standpoint.

As with most cars, there is also the reliability difference in buying a car during its launch year versus a face-lifted model and one close to end-of-life. Launch year customers obviously faced more problems and end-of-life purchases should give you an almost "perfect" car. But customers do not want to deal with this and I think MB has got the message. Afterall, how much farther down the JD Powers ratings can they or do they want to go?

In Singapore, BMW and Audi ate into MB's market share...until the new S class and C class was introduced. New designs with higher reliability and the prices are still 10-15% higher than BMW. Ask anyone who has owned a 7 series and somehow, even when it is a end-of-life model, it still gives problems. Sure, I could have saved up to 20% buying a 7 series but I have been in enough BMWs to know that somehow, things inside the cabin start to creak after 2-3 years, I have to pay more for serviving the car and I would be stuck with a poor resale situation (in Singapore anyway). Overall, MB has now reached a fine balance between luxury and performance that suits my tastes. I do not need anything else. I am partial, perhaps, but hell, I have had fun and comfort with my two MBs in the past 7 years (yes, ny E class from 2004-2007 was free from problems!) and I am not about switch to anything else.

Germancar1

Not ownership of an S-Class (lowly CLK) and not assumptions either, just going by other people I know with S and E-Class Benzes over the years. I don't think the past is a good way to judge the W221 because the previous W220 was built during the Mercedes' darkest period when it comes to quality and the W221 has thus far proved to be a totally different experience. There won't be any really hard data on the W221 for some years. I just don't think that keeping any car of this ilk is going to be trouble free for as long as you're looking to do so. There are too many electronic systems and what not to go wrong, going to be expensive to repair.

M

mbnj

Geez, you buy cars to last for 20 years as daily commuters and you may "wait a few more years" before making a purchase? You drive an old Honda and Nissan and are looking at Arnage's and S63's?? If you keep waiting several years for the next model you will never own a new car because the models will change faster than your evaluation cycle! Here are a couple of tips before visiting the dealership- borrow a neighbor's car to take to the dealership; when asked how soon you are planning to make a purchase don't tell the saleman "a few more years"; during the test drive don't ask "are we moving yet" once you experience the ride difference between the Arnage/S63 and your Sentra and Honda!

trumpet1

Similar story with my mother in law. She spent a year looking for that special bargain on a Honda Element (the boxy looking thing) and she ended up saving maybe $500 on the deal. This is after driving hundreds and hundreds of miles going from one dealership to another trying to get that "great" deal. I bet she spent $2000 in gas all in all.
Now here's the clincher: She finally buys the car about 3 months ago in her own home city and has not driven it yet!!! It sits in the garage. She keeps driving the old beater she's had for nearly 25+ years!!

FlavioB

One thing I've always wondered is why someone would change car every couple of years or even after only 6 months.
As long as I enjoy driving them everyday, I don't see a reason to change them. And to tell the truth, the w140 still gives me a lot more pleasure than the w220 but it's not 4matic, so it stays in the garage during the winter months.

WolF_00

With regular maintenance (once a year) the mercedes can last more than 15 years. I do not know about the new models. but i have 1996 S320 (6 cylinder) I bought as used car in 1999. it's maintenance cost me from 300$ to 2000$ yearly at maximum rate. I traveled for more than 350000 Km in this car and car is in good condition. The major problem that I have faced was corrosion. I painted my car twice. sometimes weather temperature can reach above 50 degrees Celsius in my country in the summer. But I have never stopped the car on the side of the road because of heat. At this time of the year engine temperature can reach about 110 but it never reaches 120.

NJS430

Consumer Reports gave the 2007 S class a poor reliability rating based on the responses to their survey . A particular troublesome spot was Power Equipment (The big black dot). Power Equipment includes Cruise control, heated or cooled seats, body control module, keyless entry, wiper motor or washer, tire pressure monitor, interior or exterior lights, horn, gauges, 12V power plug, alarm or security system, backup camera/sensor.

I'm bewildered by this rating. Have never had a more trouble free car. For those of of you who own MY07's, would you agree that Power Equipment is particularly troublesome?

trumpet1

Somebody needs to do a consumer report rating on Consumer Reports magazine as that rating is complete and total

NJS430

RTFM - You're not suppose to leave them on all of the time!


Page 382 -

Intermittent wiping

Only switch on intermittent wiping under
wet weather conditions or in the presence
of precipitation.

trumpet1

Thank you!!! Some things just need to be emphasized I guess.

gellie

I believe all these problems(and many others) have been widely discussed throughout the web.

whoover

Intemittent wiping isn't the same as automatic. The IR sensor that works the automatic wipers has always been trouble-prone, although I've only personally had one fail on a C55. I wouldn't be surprised to hear of one acting up on a W221, though.

NJS430

I'm looking for the people who actually own an 07 and belong to this forum to validate that this is or isn't the case. Have there really been that many part failures? Given the full Black dot, I would expect that at least half the people who post on this forum should have encountered a problem. I saw one post from one person who had a bad back-up camera, but that's about it. A lot of the stuff I see posted can be attributed to people not knowing how the systems work.

gellie

Keep in mind that the majority of new s550 drivers are 60+ and more than half being female,I would not expect a large turnout on the forums. Most are very willing to express there displeasure on a hard copy survey.

NJS430

Well on the S550 we don't have automatic - only intermittent.

Here are your choices -

Switching on/off windshield wipers

Turn the combination switch to the desired position depending on the intensity of the rain.

M Wipers off

... Slow intermittent wiping (rain sensor operation with low sensitivity)

…. Fast intermittent wiping (rain sensor operation with high sensitivity)

_ Slow continuous wiping

= Fast continuous wiping

trumpet1

I am an early adopter and have a 2007 model. I've owned it since October of 2006 and started posting on this forum at or near that time since.
The only part failure I've had is my idler pulley went bad. No big deal, 4 days in the shop and it was fixed perfectly. Really, it was their first time to see this problem on a W221 and failed to order one part by mistake and that was the only reason it took 4 days, otherwise, they admitted it was only a 2 day job. My tech is always upfront with me and tells me even when they make slight goofs. I respect that and I understand how these things go.

But overall, this car is impeccable and amazingly fabulous especially in its first year of production (at least for US dealerships).

You're right, most of the problems are reported due to ignorance and user error and not enough willingness to RTFM.
To some degree, I wish it was a requirement to join this forum to get simple answers to minor problems.

whoover

Well, it looks like that's how they solved the sensor problem .

Germancar1

That is exactly it. As you see there have been no problems on this forum with things like that. I hate to smear a whole group of people, but folks who live by Consumer Reports are usually clueless, at least those looking to them for automotive help. TVs, DVRs, etc, yes by all means, but for cars there are much better sources. People not knowing how things work (and this complaing and saying that things don't work) is why MB has deconted their cars every since those really bad years from 2000-2005 when CR said that MB was the worst brand in the country for reliability.

M

steveb9771

I have one of the first 2007 CL550's in the US, mfg Sept 2006, delivered in Nov 2006, and have had absolutely nothing fail. I had to replace a tire due to a road hazard that punctured the sidewall. I have only had it into the dealer for 12 month oil change (cost $150) and to have the nav system upgrade installed.

ajm0623

njs430 - - to answer your question from above - - i am an owner of a 2007 s550 4 matic for not quite one year now (bought new in early may 07). i now have 8200 miles on the clock and not one lick of a problem. with anything. full stop. just had the first annual ("a service") maintenance done, and there were no bulletins or recalls or anything. most perfect benzo i have ever owned. not sure where consumer reports is getting thier black eye/dot on said category. this car is simply perfect in every respect.

NJS430

My experience has been the same. There is simply nothing that has failed on mine. I have never been a big fan of Consumer Reports simply because I have never been satisfied with anything I purchased that they recommended. Seems they always push the best of the mediocre. I think their survey is severely flawed. They admit it is based on the opinion of their readers and not validated to ensure that the failures actually occurred.

I also think their opinion of the command controller is simply wrong. I'll admit, I was a little apprehensive about it before getting my car, but after using it, I don't understand how you could not see how this is the best way to control the features of car this complex. If they think the command interface is too complicated and confusing, then maybe they need to give their testers an IQ test. It didn't take me a week to learn the whole system.

I don't think anyone else who has tested the Lexus against the S550 didn't see the S550 as clearly the better car. Yet their opinion is exactly the opposite stating the Lexus is easily the better car. They seem to value gas mileage over driving experience. Either that or they are so bias toward Toyota, they just can't admit the truth. I suspect the reliability report was published to support their statement when they tested the car. Still I would be open to hearing from anyone who has truly had problems with power system failures on their MY07.

What really bothers me is their opinion effects the depreciation of my car.

Germancar1

^^^ Great post!


M

AMGedCorgie

I've seen repeated posts on places like yahoo autos and edmunds where S-class owners are complaining about squeaky brakes. Have you guys ever had squeaky brakes?